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A historic day for Ouelessebougou

18 Feb

On February 11th, the people of Ouélessébougou welcomed a very special guest. In the first visit of its kind made possible through an invitation by the Mayor of Ouélessébougou Yeah Samaké, the Ambassador of America to Mali, Mary Beth Leonard, paid a visit to Ouélessébougou. The visit was a chance to cement a strong friendship between America and Ouélessébougou. Ouélessébougou has been one of the few lucky villages that has received a lot of support from religious and nongovernmental organizations in the US. The visit also gave an opportunity to display Ouélessébougou as a model of success when talking about decentralization and transparent governance.

The people of Ouélessébougou showed up in droves to show their support for the Ambassador of a country whose people served them. The streets lined up with children and the people of Ouélessébougou as the Ambassador’s entourage pulled up. The representative of the Chief of the Village of Ouélessébougou welcomed the Ambassador and her delegation. He extended his deep thanks and appreciation for the support of America in Mali’s struggles and all the investments that had come to Ouélessébougou. The teachers association followed by thanking the Ambassador for the American investment in education. Speaking in his role as Mayor, when Yeah spoke he thanked the Ambassador for making the journey to come visit Ouélessébougou, emphasizing that there is so much to see and so much cultural beauty to experience outside of Bamako. He talked about America’s role as a great democratic country from whom Mali could learn many values of true democracy. He praised the efforts of America in coming to Mali’s aid and for providing financial and logistical support. He expressed his gratitude for the numerous NGOs, entrepreneurs and medical groups that visit Ouélessébougou from the US. Through their help, Ouélessébougou has received free healthcare treatment.

When the Ambassador spoke, she was very grateful for the opportunity to come visit Ouélessébougou. No other American Ambassador has ever visited the community and so this was a historic first for an Ambassador of America to set foot in Ouélessébougou. The Ambassador spoke of the friendship that Mali and America shares. She focused on education being the key to development and praised the community of Ouélessébougou for their unique citizenship participation in their government. Today, thanks to the clean, transparent governance, Ouélessébougou enjoys a 92% tax collection rate from its 50000+ population spanning 44 communes. The people have seen the benefits of paying taxes in the services they have received. The event in the main square of Ouélessébougou ended with a song by the famous Malian rapper Mylmo that got the children on their feet. My people were very excited to celebrate this unique, special occasion with the Ambassador and her delegation.

After the welcome celebration, the delegation toured the different sites in Ouélessébougou that have made the city a developing, moving city. We started by visiting the stadium that was recently enclosed. Before the youth would have no place to play. By enclosing the stadium, the Mayor’s office has introduced a place for our youth and also a venue available for rent where national/international games can be played. This will bring many investments and business opportunities to the area. Next on the tour was the new hospital that is under construction. The hospital when completed will be the biggest of its kind in the region. When the hospital is completed it will house a maternity center, emergency room, pharmacies, child care unit, dental clinic, eye care facility and healthcare center. It will be the only big hospital between Bamako and Sikasso, which is 7 hours away. This is an amazing facility and when completed it will bring accessible healthcare to the Djitimou area. I am excited for this sprawling facility to be completed! It will reduce the unnecessary deaths caused from distance to the next health center. Next, the delegation toured the famous solar panel field and were introduced to the inner workings of the facility.

After lunch, the delegation headed to the village of Ferekoroba to see the Empower Mali school that is currently under construction. While there, Yeah discussed the importance of education and the role American NGOs in contributing to Ouelessebougou’s education. NGOs like Building Youth Around the World(who donated $50K for the Ferekoroba school) and our foundation Empower Mali play a strong role in strengthening the weak education system in Mali. There is no investment by the government primarily because the funds do not exist. Hence the education system is severely affected and all the help these non profits give help raise the communities where they work. The Chief of the village of Ferekoroba was very honored to have the Ambassador visit his village and personally came to greet her and her delegation. The Building Youth Around the World Academy is progressing nicely and will be completed soon. This is the first building of its kind since the primary school was built in 1956.When completed, the government will provide teachers to the school. The children are very excited!!

The final step in this very exciting day was a visit to the village of Tenkele. While there, the Ambassador got to experience the beautiful folklore traditions of singing and dancing of the area. She was honored with songs and presented with a sheep by the people of Tenkele. Tenkele is one of the bigger communes under Yeah’s jurisdiction as Mayor. The people came out in great numbers to support their community and welcome the Ambassador.

The day was indeed wonderful and packed with many memories. The event was covered by the national TV ORTM and brought the accolades Ouélessébougou deserves for being such a beautiful, forward thinking city. This visit achieved its purpose to strengthen the ties between the US and Ouélessébougou and to demonstrate the fruits of a successfully run local government. The people of Ouélessébougou are better off today than when Yeah took office in 2009. They have clean running water, a clean source of energy, new infrastructure like school cantines and maternity centers, a new high school ( the biggest in the region), a new hospital under construction, a civil service department and an efficiently run Mayor’s office. The people have a renewed faith in their local government and an assurance that their tax money is not being eaten by their Mayor. It is this sense of citizenship that makes Ouélessébougou special. The Ambassador was quick to recognize all these accomplishments and extended a warm thank you to the people of Ouélessébougou and their Mayor for making the day so memorable. My people in Ouélessébougou will indeed treasure this historic visit just as much.

Partnering for Good Development
Welcome by the children of Ouelessebougou
Welcoming Ambassador Mary Beth Leonard to Ouelessebougou.
The people of Ouelessebougou gather to celebrate
The First Lady of Ouelessebougou, Marissa Samake and The US Ambassador Mary Beth Leonard
Speech by Mayor Samake on the historic occasion.
The amazing rapper Mylmo
Presenting the Ambassador with a gift
Visiting the new hospital under construction
Visit to the Stadium in Ouelessebougou
Visiting the solar panel field
The Ambassador visits the BYAW Academy in Ferekoroba being built by Building Youth and Empower Mali
Ambassador Leonard speaks to the population of Tenkele
The population of Tenkele present a sheep to the Ambassador
Listening to traditional folklore in the village of Tenkele
Visiting the Church in Tenkele
Ambassador Leonard and Mayor Yeah Samake speak with reports from local and national outlets
Ambassador Leonard and Mayor Samake in front of the Mayor’s office in Ouelessebougou

You can watch the National TV ORTM Coverage( in French ): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOJpM4hKwrg

 
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Posted by on February 18, 2014 in Past Posts

 

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Legistlative Election Day in Mali

24 Nov

Today was another election in Mali. Today was the day when Malians would go to the polls to choose the delegates that would represent their area in the National Assembly of Mali. Many news agencies and international organizations had touted this election as sealing the long road since the country was thrown into chaos in March 2012.

As many of you know, Yeah had submitted all his papers to run in the legislative election. However after his papers were approved, his old party URD lodged a complaint stating that as an elected official Yeah had to step down from his role as Mayor since he was elected under the party URD. In, what we believe to be a very corrupt ruling, the Constitutional Court invalidated Yeah’s candidacy to run for the National Assembly. What we cannot grasp is how the same Constitutional Court did not disqualify Yeah’s papers when he ran for a higher office of President. Should the same laws not have applied? Or is the law only applied when it suits certain parties and certain individuals. In addition, Yeah had officially submitted his resignation to  URD’s local office in 2011. This resignation, while acknowledged by the local office, was conveniently brushed under the rug and forgotten. To make matters even more incomprehensible, Yeah is listed as the President of his new party on an official document provided by the Malian government. It is very sad and angering that it had to come to this. The area that Yeah was running in is his own home turf. A turf he is well known on and well respected. This area also has 7 seats at the National Assembly and has been constantly won by the party URD for the last 10 years. This was one race that they could not afford to lose. We have done all we could to fight the decision, even taking it to the EU observers and UN observers that were assigned to observe elections. It makes you realize just how powerless these individuals really are and that elections are determined not at the voting booths but in the governments and justice systems before the lists even make it to the booth.

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In the last few weeks, Yeah has campaigned vigorously for his other party members that are also running in different areas all over Mali. From the different communes in Bamako to Kenieba to Diola, he has supported his party members in their own areas and races. However his own area of Ouelessebougou vowed to boycott elections in the area of Kati in response to the blatant injustice of the disqualification and the inability by the Malian government and people to address/fix the mistake. As we watched in Ouelessebougou, the voting booths seemed like ghost towns.

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Most polls are predicting that no more than 20% of the 6 million voting population went to the polls to choose their legislative leaders. It’s sad to watch how people have lost faith in their leaders and believe that their opinion is as forgotten as the leaders campaign promises. While news outlets are trying to make it seem like security concerns kept people away, this is not true. The number of insecure areas is so minimal compared with the majority of voting precincts through the country. The poor turnout is an indication of how people just don’t care because deep down they know nothing will change. Also there are so many candidates that the names that stick out are the ones who have ruled Mali’s political deficiencies and failures for the last 20+ years. But many will go with names they have heard rather than ones they are not familiar with. Once elected, these delegates will remain in office for 5 years. For 5 years the delegates will get richer while their areas get poorer. And the same cycle will continue until the people decide enough is enough and democracy means their voice gets heard and remembered throughout the elected term and not just in the 2 months before elections. We had run for the Presidency and then again wanted to run for the Legislative race with one purpose only, and that was to affect change. Look at Ouelessebougou. No person can say that the city has not changed dramatically for the better in the last 4 years of Yeah’s term.

Nevertheless, we will not give up hope. We will continue to do the things that will improve the lives of Malians. Whether that is strengthening our political standing for a better run in 2018 or building schools, providing educational, clean water and healthcare opportunities to Malians under the foundation Empower Mali, we hope to give Mali our very best.

 

 
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Posted by on November 24, 2013 in Past Posts

 

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The youth movement!

05 Apr

Team Samake

“Young people should be at the forefront of global change and innovation. Empowered, they can be key agents for development and peace. If, however, they are left on society’s margins, all of us will be impoverished. Let us ensure that all young people have every opportunity to participate fully in the lives of their societies.” — Kofi Annan

One of the most essential parts of the Samake campaign in Mali is the youth movement. The success of our campaign so far in Mali has been because Yeah has been able to get the youth involved and encourage them to become part of the Mali solution. And they should be. From a recent survey done, Mali’s youth population is the 3rd largest in the world with 47% of the 15.1 MILLION population between the ages of 18-24. (http://world.bymap.org/YoungPopulation.html). Some other studies quote even higher percentages. The youth need a voice. And Yeah has been giving that voice to them.

On a daily basis I see people who give up of their time and efforts to benefit the campaign. A few of them have been with this campaign since its inception in early 2011.

Most recently, 25 different leaders over youth associations all over Bamako banded together to form Association des Jeunes Leaders pour le changement et de la Decentralization du Mali (Association of Young Leaders for Change and Decentralization in Mali). Their goal was to use their Association and their voices among the community to help Yeah spread the message of change. As one of our volunteers, Dramane Bagayoko , reports: “We created this group to better support Yeah Samake and to spread the word about his political party PACP all over Mali. Mr. Samake spoke to us about his biography. What motivates us is that it is a powerful, incredible biography of one man who came from a village but has the vision to change Mali. We are ready to fight for Yeah Samake’s victory. We are ready to support an honest leader like Yeah Samake.The President of our Association decided that he would lead the association to fully support Yeah. We , the youth, understand that we need a person who has helped the youth and will continue to help youth. We know that Mr. Samake will create the educational opportunities for the youth so Mali can be a great country filled with many opportunities. To start our activities, we will host a number of soccer matches among the different districts in Bamako. This will allow us to raise alot of attention about Yeah Samake as these matches will be well attended by all the university students in the area. We will continue to give our voice to this leader as we believe in his efforts and we believe that he is the best chance for Mali.”

Every day, new groups like these are being formed. Every day in a different region of Mali, a new group vows to help Yeah bring change to Mali. We know that this fight is not over. In fact it has just begun. Mali’s time and resources have been wasted too much by the old political class. It is time that someone gave back to Mali and Malians everywhere.

All these supporters have become a vital lifeline to Team Samake. A 24/7 commitment is not what drives Team Samaké. All our volunteers have full time jobs and commitments and still find the time to lend their voices and talents to this campaign because of their faith in the country Mali can become with a leader like Yeah. Check out the stories of our volunteers and what they are doing on behalf of Team Samake and Mali at www.isupportyeah.com. If you have a story about Yeah, reasons why you support him, or thoughts about a recent Samaké2013 event that you would like to share please email us at teamsamake@gmail.com to share your experience.

Those of you who have met Yeah know of what he is capable of and what he has already done for his people. Those of you who haven’t have read of his journey and his contributions to Mali. Yeah has the ability to change Mali for the better. Without the volunteers, this campaign would have been hard. Never underestimate the value of yourself and what you can offer. If you believe that this campaign is an effort to break the chains of poverty, illiteracy and poor healthcare, then support us. The people on the ground in Mali need change. If every person we knew donated the money they used for one morning coffee or soda, we could easily raise a $1000 in an hour. A $1000 helps us hold a rally in a big village. A $1000 can fill the gas tank of 50 motorcycles to reach the distant villages and towns. Support does not have to be financial. The power of the human voice is unmatchable. Tell a friend. Tell 100 friends. Post it on Facebook, Twitter and any other outlet you can think of. We have the ability to win this for Malians everywhere. But we cannot do this without you. This isn’t about winning the election on July 7th 2013. However the election is the first step to creating a secure Mali of equality and better living conditions. Can I count on you?

maliheart

 
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Posted by on April 5, 2013 in Past Posts

 

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The hope of a nation

20 Sep

This afternoon, as I drove to pick my kids up from school, something caught my eyes. I saw two boys about Keanen’s age (six) hanging outside a private school. These kids had backpacks and to many it would look like these kids were just school kids. However as my car neared, I noticed the baskets these kids had on their heads. The back packs on their backs were not filled with books, but wares as they sold to anyone coming out of the school. To me it was another constant reminder of the sad reality of education in a country like Mali.

Mali is the second poorest country in the world and if one thing has been sacrificed year after year and generation after generation, it is the education system. While many government agencies claim the literacy rate is 46%, seeing the high number of children that beg on the streets or sell items, the number seems exaggerated and inflated.

In a country like Mali, aid organizations are plentiful. And for that I am grateful. However the Malian people are not asking for a handout. Life has dealt them a cruel set of cards and they are doing the best they can. What I, in my heart of hearts, believe is that my Malian brothers and sisters want a hand up. The only thing that will change this cruel fate at this stage is education.

The Malian education system is in shambles. Last year, at the high school and university level, the schools were closed down for more than half the year due to teacher strikes. Not only that, there are not enough schools at all levels to meet the demand. It is not uncommon in Mali to see 100-150 children in one class. In Mali, children don’t worry about what they will wear to school or even if they have the newest Disney backpack. Malian children worry about where they will go to school or will they be able to even go this year since their school is miles away.

It is in answer to this need, that Mali Rising Foundation was created. Two men, Adrian Escalante and my husband Yeah Samake, saw the deep need to have an organization that could answer the growing need for education for our young minds in developing countries. Today, the foundation has built 12 middle schools and 1 elementary school. The Mali Rising school in Lofine, Mali is almost completed and as soon as that is done, they will begin work on the Neways Academy school.

Now, we have the chance to build one more school this year through the Cultivate Wines Give program. It takes about 20,000 bricks to build a middle school in Mali, West Africa. Today, I am asking all my readers to contribute 40 bricks. How you might ask?

One vote= one brick figuratively speaking. Would you be willing to Vote each day till October 31st to help the Mali Rising Foundation win $50,000 to build its next school. Can you help Mali Rising get up to 20000 votes. Its sounds impossible so let’s start with one–yours!

VOTE EVERYDAY @ www.malirisingfoundation.com

The only two prerequisites are that you must be 21 and have a Facebook account.

To whom much is given much is expected. I have been blessed to have a good education. My children, because of my and Yeah’s education, have been blessed into good circumstances. I believe the children of Mali deserve the same opportunity to affect their own future. Please bless their lives.

1 minute of your time will affect their lives for generations. I am not endorsing the product/company but I know that the bigger picture I see has the need for one more school and blessings for one more village.

We all leave a carbon imprint behind. What will yours be?

 
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Posted by on September 20, 2012 in Past Posts

 

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